If I don't bring my reusable then I ask for disposable plastic and every single one of them I reuse for something, its nice to have them on hand. For example I can use it to store the onion I'm using and it will last the life of the onion and its scrap in my fridge unlike plastic wrap and when the onion is done all the scrap from it stays in the bag so as not to stink up the garbage.

By disposable, you mean recyclable, of course.

I carry things home in my car. I can't remember the last time I needed a bag.

I don't consider plastic grocery bags as disposable. I consider them repurposeable. Anyone who owns a dog or cat knows these things are worth their weight in gold.

Of course after you use them the second time, you're going to want to dispose of them.

Ever since our county government decided to discourage waste and create a revenue stream at the same time by collecting 5 cents per bag (paper and/or plastic) the sale and use of reusable bags has skyrocketed.

Yep - 5 cents for every bag used for your groceries, clothing, carry out order, you name it. So either you can pay the surcharge, bring your own bag or go without a bag. Nothing like watching shoppers come out of the local Target with armloads of unbagged merchandise!

Some merchants gave away reusable bags for a week or so.

Of course, there is an outcry by concerned citizens over the impact on those folks who reuse bags that may be soiled. After all, who will save them from making themselves sick because they are too (insert pc term for stupid) to realize that sticky, dirty used bags may not be a wise choice for bringing home new groceries or carry out food?

Thanks for the opportunity to vent about this.

We re-use the "disposable" plastic bags for our bathroom trash cans. Also can be crumbled-up and used as packing material.

Edit: Oh, wait...are we supposed to answer that we use those fancy recycled bags that we get in the Bundles of Clones? I use those to "wrap" gifts.

bblhed wrote:I carry things home in my car. I can't remember the last time I needed a bag.

I am so puzzled by this. Do you buy groceries and sundries (props to the OP, I love that word), or does someone else in your household take care of that?

RWoodward wrote:I don't consider plastic grocery bags as disposable. I consider them repurposeable. Anyone who owns a dog or cat knows these things are worth their weight in gold.

Of course after you use them the second time, you're going to want to dispose of them.

They see lots of use as trash bags, litter bags, lunch bags, pool toy bags, etc. at my home.

I mostly use reusable bags...um, those things can be washed, you know...but I still have enough plastic bags around to open my own convenience store! I don't know where they keep coming from! I use them to line waste baskets in the bathroom and stuff but I think they are multiplying in my pantry. If you open the pantry door, they literally start falling out all over the place!

Eh, it depends. If I remember my reusable bags I use them. If not and I have 10- items I can carry then I just forgo bags altogether. If I'm getting lots of stuff I just use the disposable bags.

I must own a dozen different, cute reusable shopping bags. And I ALWAYS forget them when I go shopping. So the plastic bags get reused as bathroom garbage can liners or recycled in my house.

I just use whatever they give me at the store. Paper, plastic, who cares?

Whatever happened to the plastic bag bin in front of grocery stores? I reuse my bags as garbage bags or whatever else I might need, but I liked being able to toss the surplus into a bin for recycling. I moved between a couple states in the past decade and I haven't seen them at all. ( ._.)

Our WalMart and Target both still have those bins. Sometimes stores have them in odd places so be sure to ask!

I always use the "My Eco" bags (except when I forget...d'oh!). Grocery checkers always make a fuss over how much they love them. They are pretty adorable.

Doesn't matter how many times you reuse those plastic bags, unless you put them in a proper recycling collection, they cost the government bucks to clean up. They don't stay in the dump, they blow around and create huge problems.

This is why you don't use them, unless you take that extra step to recycle them properly.

Otherwise, if you can't manage the reusable bags, use the paper ones. They take out the kitty litter too and at least they compost.

reusable bags are just a ploy by the stores to save money on making bags! down with...oh who am i kidding, I am tired of seeing plastic bags fly through the sky. The Plastic Bag: Nevada State Bird.

Meh, I use the plastic bags at grocery stores, but then I reuse them as trash bags for all the small rubbish cans in the house.

Did I just type "rubbish"? I don't remember turning British..

Paper bags are good for keeping my other recycling.

Use the plastic bag, then reuse.

"31% - Reusable shopping bags" I'd say all but 1% lied!

I have cloth reuseable bags that I wash in warm water once in a while to clean them. I still seem to collect plastic ones, which are useful for many of the reasons others posted.

I did get some mesh bags for reuseable produce ones, but I always forget them. Now I use them to wash socks so I don't lose any.

I use my reusable bags when I get more than I can carry and remember to have them. Otherwise I get paper. Paper bags hold recycling. Paper bags make robot costumes, and if all else fails my husband swears they are easy to use to start fires in the fireplace during winter months.

I too have a pantry full of plastic bags. I'm not sure where they come from. We use them occasionally, mostly they just accumulate and reproduce. We don't have any pets though.

Symbolic2007 wrote:Meh, I use the plastic bags at grocery stores, but then I reuse them as trash bags for all the small rubbish cans in the house.

Did I just type "rubbish"? I don't remember turning British..

You typed 'rubbish cans'. So I think you're a Britmerican? Brits call them rubbish bins, not cans.

Keep your reusable bags in the 'boot' of your car and you won't forget them.

I always have the post office or Fed Ex deliver my stuff. That is, unless I am in Hawaii. Then I have to carry my own stuff home 'cuz nobody delivers nuttin' in Hawaii.

cobaltgrl wrote:
Otherwise, if you can't manage the reusable bags, use the paper ones. They take out the kitty litter too and at least they compost.

Ha! A load of wet litter clumps or fresh doggie doo will go through a paper bag like a samurai sword through Kleenex.

I buy the cloth bags in the store. (I imagine totes.woot would work, too.) I bring the groceries into the house.

I forget to take the bags back to the car. They fill up with headsets, batteries, cables, mittens, etc.

I use plastic bags for a while. They fill up with 4-dog-doo and get tossed.

Eventually I remember to take the remaining cloth bags back out to the car.

If there aren't enough for that day's groceries, I buy one or two more in the store. I bring the groceries into the house.

I forget to take the bags back to the car....

Plastic. I either use them when I scoop out the cat-box, or recycle the clean ones. I have a re-useable bag floating around somewhere...

We ask for paper in plastic. Gotta cover all your bases

teevee wrote:I am so puzzled by this. Do you buy groceries and sundries (props to the OP, I love that word), or does someone else in your household take care of that?

Costco. No bags needed.

Had to show a little love for the backpacks. The Chico Bag is for overflow.

Um, boxes? I shop at Aldi's. They're stronger, free and recyclable again.

ever since i got my sacs of life from home.woot, ive been using them. Woot totally needs to bring those back

Kinda sucks that Woot dropped the ball on this one and didnt allow me an option to say that I use plastic, but am proud to either return them to the recycle bin at the store, or my city's local recycle outpost, or allow my wife to weave them into matting to use in a roll up bed that my wife gives to homeless people (who would have thought you could do that kinda stuff?)... For shame Woot, for shame...

mrtbshaw wrote:Kinda sucks that Woot dropped the ball on this one and didnt allow me an option to say that I use plastic, but am proud to either return them to the recycle bin at the store, or my city's local recycle outpost, or allow my wife to weave them into matting to use in a roll up bed that my wife gives to homeless people (who would have thought you could do that kinda stuff?)... For shame Woot, for shame...

Since none of those are true....

I've gotten so good at bringing my reusable bags (including a little fold up one I take everywhere) that I've just run out of plastic bags, which I use for my kitchen trash, and almost run out of paper bags, which I use for paper recycling.

Spiky wrote:Since none of those are true....

None of what are true? My recycling?

Reusable shopping bags made from old jeans. They are strong enough to put tons of canned goods in, unlike the light-duty reusable bags they sell at the grocery stores.

talithaborealis wrote:I have cloth reuseable bags that I wash in warm water once in a while to clean them. I still seem to collect plastic ones, which are useful for many of the reasons others posted.

I did get some mesh bags for reuseable produce ones, but I always forget them. Now I use them to wash socks so I don't lose any.

Plastic reusable bags can just be tossed into the washing machine. I've done it often. I don't run them through the dryer, so I don't know how well that would work, but a normal wash cycle, along with normal laundry, works fine.

I keep 3 or 4 canvas bags in my car all the time, they live in the pocket on the back of my seat (this one is my favorite). Even though I use them almost every time I go to the grocery store I still seem to accumulate a lot of plastic bags, but I use them as trash can liners. I have this can for my kitchen trash which they fit in perfectly.